'Pain make man think. Thought make man wise. Wisdom make life endurable' : Sakini, in "The Tea House of the August Moon" by John Patrick, (1953)

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Pakistan: The flames of bigotry. By Zahid Hussain

IT all started with
just few hundred zealots blocking Islamabad’s main highway. Now into its third
week and with thousands more joining in, the blockade has virtually brought the
administration to its knees. Pampering and pleading have failed to move the
defiant clerics; even the court order to end the siege has fallen on deaf ears.
The paralysis of the state has given the fanatics a greater sense of
empowerment.

What is more troubling
is that the flames of bigotry are sweeping across other parts of the country
creating a dangerous confluence of religion and politics. The controversy over
the missing oath that has apparently been exploited by the newly formed Tehreek
Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) to whip up religious sentiments has turned into
more of a political issue bringing the beleaguered government under severe
pressure. It is the fear of a
blowback that seems to have limited the option of using force. The repeated
extension of deadlines and seeking the help of religious leaders to end the
stand-off demonstrate the helplessness of the administration in a midst of a
political crisis. The political fallout of the 2007 Lal Masjid military
operation and the 2014 Model Town police action keeps haunting the embattled
government.

But giving in to the
irrational demands of a political-religious group would further weaken the
authority of the government and the state. The administration has failed to
learn from the consequences of the policy of appeasement and the delayed action
against the Lal Masjid militants. Undoubtedly, there would have been no need
for such massive use of force had the then military-led government acted a year
earlier when the vigilante squads organised by Lal Masjid clerics went on the
rampage. The police could have easily tackled the matter then without much
bloodshed.

It may not be
appropriate to draw a parallel between the two situations. But it would have
certainly been much easier for law-enforcement agencies to remove a few hundred
protesters when they started to block the road earlier this month. There was
certainly no groundswell of support for the unruly mob; in fact, there has been
huge public outrage over the blockade. But that initial dithering on the part
of the administration encouraged some other groups to join the siege, making
the situation much more volatile. It was certainly not a
spontaneous move when the protesters led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi marched into
Islamabad travelling all the way from Lahore. There seems to be a clear plan
behind the siege. It is quite intriguing why the Punjab government did not stop
the TLY supporters despite the fact that the issue of the missing clause about
the finality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had already been resolved.

It is quite evident
that some senior members of the ruling PML-N also played a role by stoking the
controversy because of political expediency. Some of the opposition party
leaders have also jumped into the fray for their own vested political
interests. Then questions have also been raised about whether the newly formed
TLY enjoys tacit support of some intelligence agencies to undercut the PML-N
vote bank. All these factors have created a monster and stoked the flames of
bigotry that may burn down their own homes.

Notwithstanding the
rise of religious extremism in the country, this new phenomenon spearheaded by
clerics like Khadim Hussain Rizvi is more dangerous as it evokes wider
emotional appeal among the less-educated populace. The filthy language used by
these clerics and the open incitement to violence has made the lives of not
only members of minority religious communities but also moderate Muslims more
vulnerable to mob violence.

In his landmark report
on the 1953 Lahore religious riots former chief justice Muhammad Munir wrote:
“…[P]rovided you can persuade the masses to believe that something they are
asked to do is religiously right or enjoined by religion, you can set them to
any course of action, regardless of all considerations of discipline, loyalty,
decency, morality or civic sense.” This applies to
present-day Pakistan that has rightly been described as among the most
intolerant nations in the world. In this overwhelmingly Muslim-majority
country, everyone’s faith is being questioned. The slightest perceived
deviation or allegation of blasphemy can cost one his/her life. It reminds one
of the Inquisition in mediaeval Europe.

Just listen to the
speeches of Rizvi and his fellow clerics being live-streamed on social media to
understand the kind of vitriol being spewed in the name of religion. The law of
the land is certainly not applied to these merchants of hate who are holding the
nation hostage. It is pathetic that
the law minister has to prove his allegiance to faith and beg forgiveness for
an oversight for which he was not directly responsible. The demand for his
resignation is not just about his person but the sanctity of parliament.
Conceding to this demand would further strengthen these extremist forces that
consider themselves above the law.

For sure, efforts must
be made to bring this blockade to a peaceful end. But the government must not
allow any group to challenge the state’s authority. One cannot understand the
administration’s dithering despite the order of the Islamabad High Court to
clear the siege. The order declared that no group could be allowed to infringe
upon the rights of the people or disrupt the administration. Indeed, it is
primarily the responsibility of the government to protect the rights of the
people and uphold the rule of law. But the issue of extremism must also be the
concern of the state and other stakeholders in the democratic setup. There is a
need for a joint effort to deal with this rising menace that threatens the
national fabric. The use of religion as
a policy tool by the state and its confluence with politics has divided the
nation along sectarian lines and fuelled bigotry. The ongoing siege of the
capital presents a serious challenge to not only the government but also the
state.